1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to an apparatus designed to facilitate the loading and towing of a trailer, and in particular a disabled trailer, for example, a trailer with a broken or damaged axle, frozen wheel bearings, or collision damage to a wheel, axle or components thereof, or a trailer which is not fitted with a trailer jack having an attached wheel. More specifically, the invention pertains to a heavy duty dolly with two pairs of wheels mounted on the lower side of a base plate, employing a tow ball on the upper side which may be connected to a receiver of a trailer tongue, allowing the trailer to be winched onto a tilt bed tow truck without damage to the trailer tongue, a trailer jack, and/or associated mechanism and wiring.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various trailer dollies and trailer hitch dollies been used for many years to move, or assist in the movement of, trailers. In particular, a trailer dolly may provide support for a trailer tongue during transit using a vehicle, or may allow a trailer to be moved manually. Features common to most trailers include at least one wheel and a means to connect a trailer to a towing vehicle, or to other means of towing a trailer.
Many of the trailer dollies used in connection with the common types of trailers are constructed to be connected to the tongue of a trailer and used when towing a trailer with a vehicle. In such case, use of a trailer dolly may provide additional support and/or stability, or absorb road shocks, during the towing of a trailer.
A House Trailer Dolly, shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,596,655, issued to Converse, is typical of such a trailer dolly, wherein the trailer dolly facilitates the movement of a trailer around sharp curves and absorbs road shocks.
In some instances, the trailer dolly may provide a means for leveling a trailer, in addition to providing support and stability during towing.
The Trailer Dolly, shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,469,152, issued to Brown, is representative of this type of trailer dolly.
Trailer dollies are also used to move a trailer manually, rather than towing the trailer with a vehicle. U.S. Pat. No. 3,189,365, for Portable Haulers, issued to Blacher, is an example of a manual device for pulling a boat or other trailer.
A dolly unit may also be connected to the bottom end of a trailer jack to facilitate manual movement of a trailer, or to provide support when the trailer is not coupled to a towing vehicle. The Trailer Tongue Dolly Unit, shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,008,730, granted to Lisota, is an example of such a device.
All of these trailer dollies are designed to be used in the towing or moving of a trailer. It is recognized that the existing trailer dollies are designed generally to provide auxiliary support to the forward end or tongue of a trailer.
However, towing of a trailer requires that said trailer has functional wheels. A problem occurs with the movement of a trailer when one or more wheels or axles, or other components thereof, have been damaged. The trailer no longer rolls on its own wheels and becomes very difficult to move in either a forward or rearward direction. In such instance the disabled trailer cannot be towed and must be conveyed by other means, such as a tilt bed tow truck.
A problem occurs in loading the disabled trailer onto the tow truck. As indicated, the trailer no longer rolls on its own wheels, and further is no longer steerable. The disabled trailer must literally be dragged onto the bed of the tow truck. This is usually accomplished by connecting a hook and cable, or a chain, to the tongue or frame of the trailer, and pulling the trailer onto the tow truck bed by means of a winch or other device. In the process of pulling the trailer onto the truck bed, the trailer tongue, the trailer jack, and associated components and wiring, may be damaged.
The auxiliary support provided by a trailer jack fitted with a wheel is not sufficient to assist in loading a trailer with a damaged axle or wheels, and such jack and auxiliary wheel may also be damaged in the attempt to move the disabled trailer.
The present invention is directed toward addressing and solving the problem of loading a disabled trailer onto the bed of the tow truck without damaging the tongue of the trailer, the trailer jack, and any associated components and wiring. The present invention is further directed to solving the problem of assisting in the loading of a functional trailer which does not have a dolly wheel attached to the trailer jack, or one with a small dolly wheel which is insufficient to bear the weight of trailer being hauled up a ramp without sustaining damage to the trailer jack or attached dolly wheel.